Bungee sling and method of making

ABSTRACT

A sling that includes a first strap having an elastic sidewall enclosing a hollow interior and a pair of elastic cords attached at each end to the strap and located inside the hollow interior of the strap, the first strap further comprising a first connector member on a first end of the first strap; and a second strap having an elastic sidewall enclosing a hollow interior and a pair of elastic cords attached at each end to the strap and located inside the hollow interior of the strap, the second strap further comprising a second connector member on a first end and releasably connectable to the first connector member of the first strap, the first and second straps each having second ends permanently coupled together.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure pertains to slings for carrying and manipulating an object and, more particularly, to a sling adapted for use with firearms to accommodate rapid weapon deployment and use in a variety of tactical environments.

2. Description of the Related Art

Slings are of ancient origin, devised generally of a loop of rope, strap, or a chain for supporting a load. While its history remains unknown, the sling is in widespread use in modern times in connection with a variety of manual and mechanical uses, including baby slings, arm slings, camera slings, musical instrument slings, and weapon slings.

When used manually, a properly designed sling will distribute the load for balance and comfort, and it will facilitate use of the load. For example, a baby sling holds the baby close to the caregiver in a manner that keeps the caregiver's hands free and avoids back strain while keeping the baby in a position to see the caregiver and be fed and comforted. Slings used for musical instruments are designed for load support and comfort while positioning the instrument so it can be played and, in some cases, so that sheet music can be supported thereon for reading by the user.

Slings for weapons, and in particular rifles, shotguns, and long-barreled weapons, have been designed to provide not only hands-free support, but to facilitate bringing the weapon quickly into a ready-to-use position. Such designs include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,211,351; 4,823,491; 5,810,219; 5,971,239; 6,260,748; 6,325,258; 6,536,153; 6,598,330; and D495,870.

One area of concern is accommodating rapid deployment and use, including retraction and retention of a weapon, such as a rifle. While prior slings attempt to address this issue with the use of adjustment devices or multifunctional sling mounts, such approaches can be complex, costly, and time consuming to implement in the field and in some cases create noise that can interfere with the intended use.

In the past, designers have incorporated elastic elements into the sling to allow a weapon to be thrust away from the user's body. For example, a single elastic cord has been used, but in order to properly support the weight of the resting weapon, the elastic had to be thick and heavy. This is not preferred because if the elastic cord is too thick it will cut into the user's shoulder or trapezius, resulting in discomfort, possible injury, and inhibiting proper use of the weapon.

While a sling can incorporate a smaller one piece elastic cord, it will be too small and not support the weapon. The weight of the weapon will cause the elastic cord to stretch out, completely rending the elastic cord useless for its intended purpose. This describes most, if not all, of such type of stretchable slings on the market, which use elastic cord in only one side of the sling; this results in a less than ideal performance because the stretch is neither even nor uniform and in the fraction of a second that a user needs to reach out with the weapon, such as in hand-to-hand combat, the weapon can veer off to one side (the side without bungee) causing the user to miss the intended point of impact.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In accordance with the disclosed embodiments of the present disclosure, a sling is provided that includes a first strap having an elastic sidewall or tubular webbing enclosing a hollow interior and a pair of elastic cords attached to the strap and located inside the hollow interior of the strap, the first strap further comprising a first connector member on a first end of the first strap; and a second strap having an elastic sidewall or tubular webbing enclosing a hollow interior and a pair of elastic cords attached to the strap and located inside the hollow interior of the strap, the second strap further comprising a second connector member on a first end and releasably connectable to the first connector member of the first strap, the first and second straps each having second ends permanently coupled together.

As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing, the bungee sling of the present disclosure allows the sling to expand as well as contract in order to provide two completely separate functions:

Expand: the elastic bungee sling allows the user to evenly and accurately push his weapon away from the user's body (which could not be done with a traditional, fixed/non-bungee sling). Instances of this would be:

striking an opponent with the barrel or muzzle of the weapon, which helps subdue opponents and encourage compliance with verbal commands,

striking an opponent with any other part of the weapon, i.e., magazine, grip, etc., which is useful when an opponent is trying to gain control over a user's weapon, and lengthening the reach of the weapon to push open a door without the user's body having to get physically closer to the door.

Shrink/Contract: when stretched or lengthened, the kinetic energy stored up in the lengthened elastic cords inside the sling urges the sling to shrink or contract back to its original length. This is useful to many users because it pulls the weapon back into the user's shoulder, providing a more solid shoulder mount and thus a more accurate shot. Again, this could not be done with a traditional, fixed/non-bungee sling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will be more readily appreciated as the same become better understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1-48 illustrate the steps of a method of making a bungee sling in accordance with the present disclosure:

FIGS. 49 and 50 are isometric views of male and female buckle components used in the method illustrated in FIGS. 1-48;

FIG. 51 is a pictorial illustration of components used to make the bungee sling of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 52A and 52B are pictorial illustrations of the sling supporting a weapon on a user's torso.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 51 illustrates many of the components used in constructing a bungee sling in accordance with the present disclosure.

Cut Sheet

Part Number/PIN: S1018-X*

(*=B (black), G (olive drab), T (coyote tan), or F (foliage green)

Material/Item Qty: 1.25 tubular webbing 1 piece (35″ length) 1.25 tubular webbing 1 piece (49″ length) ⅜ elastic cord 4 pieces (8″ lengths) 1.25 triglide 1 1.25 common loop 1 Patent Pending label 1 1.25 swivel connector 1 1.25 male QRB (Quick-Release Buckle) 1 1.25 female QRB (Quick-Release Buckle) 1

Procedure

1. Cut all necessary pieces and begin below with the longer piece.

Longer Piece

2. Sear one end 100 of the longer webbing piece 102 on both sides (FIGS. 1-2).

3. Sew in the triglide 104 at the recently seared end 100 with a box X with no less than 6 thread passes at the top and bottom of the box X. The box X should be no longer than ¾ inch (FIG. 3).

4. Thread the free end through the common loop (FIG. 4). IMPORTANT: It is essential to maintain proper orientation of triglide 104 while threading the common loop!

5. Thread the free end back through the triglide (FIGS. 5-7).

6. Insert elastic cords (2) 106 into the open/non-seared end of the longer webbing piece (FIG. 8). TIP: insert elastic cords into the tubular webbing a finger length or approximately 4 inches (FIG. 9).

7. Now sear this end (on both sides), sealing the elastic cords into the longer strap (FIG. 10).

8. Threading the webbing through the female part 108 of the QRB making sure “good side” is facing out (FIGS. 11-13). If needed, reference sample for proper orientation.

9. Next, fold webbing under as seen below making sure fold does not exceed ¾ of an inch (FIG. 14).

10. Sew in the female part of the QRB 108 with a box X with no less than 6 passes at the top and bottom of the box X (FIG. 15).

11. As far as possible, move elastic cords to the end of the strap 102 (FIGS. 16 and 17).

12. Bartack elastic cords in place near the end of the strap (FIGS. 18 and 19). TIP: Pinch elastic cords together during the first 2 thread passes to ensure elastic cords stays centered in the tubular webbing.

13. Sew two (2) bartacks ¼ inch apart with a minimum of 6 passes of thread per bartack.

14. Mark the strap 8 inches from end of elastic cords (FIG. 20).

15. Compress tubular webbing onto the elastic cords (as seen in FIG. 21) until the chalk mark reaches the end of elastic cords. IMPORTANT: make sure that the tubular webbing does not twist and that it sits flat on the table. If webbing twists, the sling will not be comfortable.

16. Bartack elastic cords in place near the end of the elastic cords (FIG. 22). TIP: As performed above, pinch elastic cords together during the first 2 thread passes to ensure elastic cords stays centered in the tubular webbing.

The longer piece is now complete.

Shorter Piece

17. Insert bungee pieces (2) 112 into one end of the shorter webbing piece 114 (FIG. 23).

18. Sear this end 116 (on both sides) as seen in FIG. 24.

19. Now sear the opposite end (on both sides), sealing the elastic cords into the longer strap (FIG. 25).

20. Take the end farthest from the elastic cords and thread the swivel connector 118 onto the strap 102 (FIG. 26).

21. Then thread the male part 122 of the QRB as shown in FIGS. 27 and 28. See FIGS. 49 and 50 for correct installation of the QRB male 122 and female components.

22. Next, thread the end of the strap back through the loop of the swivel connector 118 as seen in FIG. 29, to finally rest up against the male 122 QRB (FIGS. 30 and 31). IMPORTANT: The total distance between the inside edge of the male part 122 of the QRB and the fold should be no longer than 2¾ inches. (FIG. 32).

23. Sew a 2 inch box X into place (FIG. 33). IMPORTANT: The box X can be no longer than 2″.

24. To determine proper placement of label 124, fold strap at the swivel connector 118 (FIG. 34).

25. Place label with the right-side edge lining up with the male part 122 of the QRB (FIG. 35). Make sure label 124 is oriented properly (as seen below) and not upside down (FIG. 36).

26. Sew on label 124 (FIG. 37). IMPORTANT: Proper placement of label (without being twisted or crooked) is ESSENTIAL to Tactical Link.

27. Next, mark the free end of strap 4½ inches from the end (FIG. 38).

28. Bartack elastic cords in place near the end of the elastic cords (FIGS. 38 and 39) with 2 bartacks 128 ¼ inch apart from each other. TIP: As performed above, pinch elastic cords together during the first 2 thread passes to ensure elastic cords stays centered in the tubular webbing.

29. Compress elastic cords as far as possible toward the label 124, leaving a finger widths distance between end of the elastic cords and the edge of the label as seen in FIG. 40.

30. Bartack elastic cords in place near the end of the elastic cords (FIGS. 41 and 42) with 2 bartacks 130 ¼ inch apart from each other. TIP: As performed above, pinch elastic cords together during the first 2 thread passes to ensure elastic cords stays centered in the tubular webbing.

31. With the label and triglide facing up, thread the free end 132 of the strap 102 up and into the opening of the common loop 105 (FIGS. 43-45).

32. Fold the free end 132 as seen below in FIGS. 46 and 47.

33. Fold under the free end 132 until it touches the common loop (FIG. 47). The width of the fold should be ½ inch (no larger than ¾ inch) as seen in FIG. 47.

34. Sew a ½ inch box X with 6 passes on the top and bottom (FIG. 48).

35. Clip any and all loose threads.

36. Compare finished product to sample.

In use, the sling 200 provides a single point of attachment to a weapon 202. It is to be understood however, that the concept of the present disclosure can be extended to slings providing multiple points of attachment. The user puts the sling strap over their head and rests it on the shoulder of use (left or right) as shown in FIGS. 52A and 52B. The user thus dons the sling by placing an arm and shoulder (either dominant or non-dominant) through the sling (between the sling and the weapon) and up and over his head. The user can then bring the weapon up into firing position or bring it to striking position and use it to hit without risk of having it dropped or taken away. The user can use the same firing position (weapon mounted to either the dominant or non-dominant shoulder) and simply push the weapon forward to reach out and contact an opponent or object with the weapon's muzzle; or the user can turn the weapon across his body, i.e., barrel pointing to the left and the buttstock pointing to the right, and point the magazine or pistol grip toward the opponent or object and extend the weapon toward the person or object, such as to inflict injury and pain.

As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing, the bungee sling of the present disclosure allows the sling to expand as well as contract in order to provide two completely separate functions:

Expand: the elastic bungee sling allows the user to push his weapon away from the user's body (which could not be done with a traditional, fixed/non-bungee sling). Instances of this would be:

striking an opponent with the barrel or muzzle of the weapon, which helps subdue opponents and encourage compliance with verbal commands,

striking an opponent with any other part of the weapon, i.e., magazine, grip, etc., which is useful when an opponent is trying to gain control over a user's weapon, and

lengthening the reach of the weapon to push open a door without the user's body having to get physically closer to the door.

Shrink/Contract: when stretched or lengthened, the kinetic energy stored up in the lengthened elastic cords inside the sling urges the sling to shrink or contract back to its original length. This is useful to many users because it pulls the weapon back into the user's shoulder, providing a more solid shoulder mount and thus a more accurate shot. Again, this could not be done with a traditional, fixed/non-bungee sling.

It is to be understood, however, that other materials and finishes may be used as necessitated by a particular application. Hence, while representative embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described hereinabove, it is to be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is to be limited only by the scope of the claims that follow.

All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. For example, the concepts of the present disclosure are applicable to slings of multiple points of contact, such as 2-point and 3-point, as well as to connectors that are not necessarily swivel connectors. Accordingly, the disclosure is not limited except as by the appended claims. 

1. A sling, comprising: a first strap having: an elastic sidewall that defines a hollow interior, the elastic sidewall having first and second ends with respective first and second attachment points; a pair of elastic cords located inside the hollow interior of the elastic sidewall and having first and second ends attached to the respective first and second attachment points; and a first connector member on the first end of the elastic sidewall; and a second strap having: an elastic sidewall that defines a hollow interior, the elastic sidewall having first and second ends with first and second attachment points; a second pair of elastic cords having first and second ends attached to the respective first and second attachment points and located inside the hollow interior of the second strap; and the first and second straps having their respective first ends permanently coupled together.
 2. The sling of claim 1, wherein the first and second straps are gathered about their respective pair of elastic cords.
 3. The sling of claim 1, wherein each of the elastic cords in each of the pair of elastic cords is positioned side by side inside their respective first and second straps.
 4. A single-point attachment sling for use with a weapon, the sling comprising: first and second strap members that each have first and second ends, the first and second strap members defining hollow interiors, the first and second strap members permanently attached together at the respective first end of each of the first and second strap members without the hollow interiors communicating with each other; a first pair of elastic filaments located inside the hollow interior of the first strap member; a second pair of elastic filaments located inside the hollow interior of the second strap member; first and second coupling members attached to the respective second end of the first and second strap members and structured to be releasably coupled together; and a single-point attachment member coupled to one of the first and second strap members and structured to be releasably coupled to the weapon.
 5. The sling of claim 4, wherein each pair of the first and second pairs of elastic filaments comprise first and second elastic cords in side-by-side parallel relationship.
 6. The sling of claim 5, further comprising: wherein each of the first and second elastic cords have a first and a second end; and the first end of each of the first and second elastic cords are attached to the first end of the respective first strap member and second strap member, and the second end of each of the first and second elastic cords is attached at a second end of the respective first and second strap members.
 7. The sling of claim 6, wherein the first and second strap members have a length greater than a length of the respective first and second elastic cords so that the first and second strap members are gathered about the pair of first and second elastic cords when the pair of first and second elastic cords are not stretched.
 8. The sling of claim 6, wherein the first and second ends of each of the first and second cords are centered transversely in the hollow interior of the respective first and second strap members.
 9. The sling of claim 6, wherein the second end of each of the first and second elastic cords are separated from a second end of the respective first and second strap members by a predetermined distance.
 10. An apparatus, comprising: a firearm; a sling capable of attachment to the firearm, the sling comprising: a first strap that includes: an elastic sidewall having first and second ends and first and second attachment points, the elastic sidewall defining a hollow interior with first and second attachment points; a pair of elastic cords having first and second ends attached to the respective first and second attachment points and located inside the hollow interior of the first strap; and a first connector member on the first end of the elastic sidewall; and a second strap that includes: an elastic sidewall having first and second ends with first and second attachment points, the elastic sidewall defining a hollow interior; a pair of elastic cords having first and second ends attached to the respective first and second attachment points and located inside the hollow interior of the second strap; and the first and second straps having their first ends permanently coupled together.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second straps are gathered about their respective pair of elastic cords.
 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the elastic cords is positioned side by side inside their respective first and second straps. 